ABSENTEE COUNTING BOARD AUGUST 2, 2016 CELL PHONES OR ELECTRONIC DEVICES THAT MAY BE CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET ARE NOT PERMITTED IN THE ABSENTEE COUNTING BOARD FOR ASSISTANCE CALL 347-0456 Page 1 of 15
TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE Match # of absentee ballots to the AV list 3 AV list for Novi City (sample) 3 Processing the absentee ballots 4 Tabulating the absentee ballots 5 Write-In candidates 5 Rejected absentee ballots 6-7 Missing ballot stub/process as challenged ballot 7 Processing Electronic and FWAB ballots 7 Duplicating absentee ballots 8 Tabulating ballots with valid write-ins 9 Additional delivery of absentee ballots 9 Closing up directions 10-15 Page 2 of 15
PROCESSING ABSENT VOTER BALLOTS The Inspectors are the team players balanced by Republicans and Democrats who actually open and process ballots. At the start of the day: Take the oath of office and sign the poll book. The Chair will give your assignments with the mail tray, absentee ballots, absentee list, and PC card. Compare the ballot envelopes to the list and place a check mark next to the ballot number on the list and confirm the ballot was returned If there is no date in the Date Ballot Received column and you have the ballot, NOTIFY THE CHAIR Once all ballots are checked off, begin opening envelopes. Page 3 of 15
PROCESSING THE ABSENT VOTER BALLOT ENVELOPES Look inside the envelope: o Check stub number against the ballot number on the label on the outside envelope. o Remove the stub, keep together in numerical order. o Pass the ballot and secrecy sleeve to your co-worker. o The next worker removes the ballot from the secrecy sleeve. o Place secrecy sleeves in storage container. o Ballots with rips, tears, writing on the ballot or anything out of the ordinary, place it in the AV ballots to be duplicated folder. o Otherwise, unfold the ballot and place at the end of your table. o Next worker will count 25 ballots and feed into the tabulator. Page 4 of 15
TABULATING THE ABSENTEE BALLOTS Watch for write-ins! o Review the back of ballot for Precinct Delegate write-ins and other write-ins. (See page 9) o Run ballot through the machine. If the tabulator rejects the ballot, the words return or count as marked will appear on the LCD screen. Press the return button to remove it from the tabulator. View the front and back of ballot to look for the error as displayed on the screen If ballot was rejected due to an over-vote or blank ballot, follow the instructions on next page. Page 5 of 15
REJECTED BALLOT INSTRUCTIONS Un-voted/blank - review the ballot. If you do see votes, that means the WRONG pen was used. DO NOT erase or write over any mark on a BALLOT. Place ballot in folder marked BALLOTS TO BE DUPLICATED. If it is truly blank, re-insert the ballot. Press Count as marked or Accept button on the machine. Over-voted find the over-vote. Now, review the duplicating process. If the ballot has been destroyed (coffee stain, dog ate it), the ballot must be duplicated. Place ballot in folder marked Ballots to be Duplicated. If there are too many votes in that section and it s not clear that they only meant to fill in one oval, re-insert the ballot, press Count as marked button to override the rejection. Page 6 of 15
Because you are acting on behalf of the absentee voter, it is imperative that you carefully check any rejected ballots. If you are unsure about anything, please ask the Co-Chairs. If even one ballot is processed incorrectly, the entire precinct will have to be re-run and that is definitely not fun. MISSING BALLOT STUB/PROCESSING CHALLENGED BALLOTS - If the ballot stub is missing, a note must be made in the remarks section. Then process the ballot as a challenged ballot. To process a challenged ballot, write the ballot # in pencil on the very top of the ballot, not on the stub, cover with white-out tape. Feed into tabulator. PROCESSING ELECTRONIC BALLOTS AND FWAB (Federal Write-In Ballot) If the returned ballot is an electronic ballot that was either printed by the voter or the Clerk, the ballot must include the voter signature certificate. The Clerk will provide you information if these are received. Election inspectors will need to verify that the voter signed the signature certificate and compare the signature to the application provided by the City Clerk. If there is no certificate, the ballot must be rejected and may not be processed. Keep the signature certificate with the application. Attaching the application to the electronic ballot or FWAB compromises the secrecy of the ballot. Regular duplication procedures should be followed. The original electronic ballots must be placed in the Original Ballots for which duplicates have been made envelope after duplication. Page 7 of 15
DUPLICATING BALLOTS Using a black pen, Two inspectors, different parties, must examine any damaged, rejected, FPCA or FWAB (see page 8) ballots. Count the voted ballots first and choose the same number of blank ballots (per precinct). Number them consecutively, (e.g. For a torn ballot from Precinct 18, write ORIG 18-1on the voted ballot and DUP. 18-1on the blank ballot, never on the stub). To duplicate the ballot, one person reads the votes from the original voted ballot, the other person marks the duplicate ballot. Then repeat back the votes to the reader. On the Remarks page for each precinct, fill in Used Ballot # to duplicate ORIG 18-1. Before feeding any Duplicated ballots into tabulator, count to make sure you have same number of ORIG and DUP ballots. Place the Original (ORIG) ballots in the envelope marked "Original Ballots for which Duplicates were made". Feed the Duplicated (DUP) ballots into the tabulator for the correct Precinct. Page 8 of 15
TABULATING BALLOTS WITH VALID WRITE-INS There are valid write-ins for Precinct Delegates, so if you see a write-in candidate in the Precinct Delegate section of the ballot, insert the ballot into the tabulator. Then place that ballot in the folder for the corresponding precinct marked Write-ins ALREADY TABULATED. If/when the Clerk s office notifies you of a valid write-in candidate for Precinct Delegate, print their name on the green sheet (sample below) At the end of the night, tally them (see sample below)on the matching sheet for each precinct. Write NONE if there are none. Rubber band each group of write-ins per precinct. Page 9 of 15
ADDITIONAL DELIVERIES OF BALLOTS You will get more ballots after the first delivery. Follow the same instructions to process and open them. BUT, this time you fill in the date 08-02-16 in the Date Ballot Returned column, highlight it in orange and also and change the totals at the end of the list. Repeat this process for each precinct you are assigned. For the final delivery of ballots between 7 and 8 p.m., fill in the date 08-02-16 in the Date Ballot Returned column highlight in blue. Remember to change the totals at the bottom of the precinct list. Page 10 of 15
CLOSING UP Chair and Co-Chair For each precinct, do you balance? Does the number of voters on the machine add up to the number of voters on the list? If so, lift the antenna, turn the key to Open/Close Polls, press the Close Polls button 3 tapes will print It will then connect to the modem to send results. Wait until the tape prints Election results sent successfully Do not tear tapes apart, just place the signature labels on each of the three tapes and place in clear plastic bag for each precinct. Place all the PC cards inside the blue bag, write the seal number on white card, zip it up and insert plastic seal. Page 11 of 15
CLOSING UP Chair and Co-Chair Complete the Ballot summary for each precinct Page 12 of 15
Precinct Delegates already on the ballot? Transfer totals from the tape to this sheet Everybody sign who worked on that precinct! Page 13 of 15
****EVERYONE IN THE ROOM MUST SIGN Page 14 of 15
CLOSING UP Chair and Co-Chair Place all voted ballots, Originals for which Duplicates have been made envelope into the black ballot bags. Rubber band by precinct. Verify that the seal # on the green ballot container certificate matches the blue pull-tight seal used to seal it up. Now verify the same seal # is written in the poll book. (See previous page) Place the poll book, including 3 signed tapes per precinct, and payroll sheet in the Local Clerk White Receiving Board envelope. Place M100 cards in the blue bag and bring upstairs. AV BALLOT ENVELOPES and SUPPLIES 1. Place the rubber-banded AV envelopes in large banker boxes. NO SEALS NECESSARY. Page 15 of 15